Thong for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick and a pre-laced pocket and net incorporating the same

ABSTRACT

A thong used for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick, a pre-laced pocket incorporating said thong and a net incorporating said pre-laced pocket. The thong has a plurality of holes defined therein and which extend between the front and rear surfaces of the thong. The holes are configured to receive a lacing member therethrough. The pre-laced pocket is comprised of a plurality of said thongs and a lacing member threaded through the holes in a diamond-shaped, cross-laced pattern. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocket and one or more connector strings that extend between the pre-laced pocket and the head&#39;s frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention generally relates to sports equipment. More particularly,the invention relates to lacrosse sticks and to the nets used to catchand throw balls. Specifically, the invention relates to a thong used forstringing the head of a lacrosse stick and to a pre-laced pocket and netincorporating the same. The thongs have a plurality of holes definedtherein, and the holes extend between the front and rear surfaces of thethong and are adapted to receive one or more lacing memberstherethrough. The pre-laced pocket is comprised of a plurality of saidthongs and a lacing member. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocketand one or more connector strings to secure the pre-laced pocket to theframe of the head.

2. Background Information

Lacrosse sticks typically comprise a head that is detachably secured toa shaft. The head includes a frame within which a net is strung tocreate a ball pocket shaped to catch and retain a ball. The type of netused in the frame is a matter of choice. Some players prefertraditionally strung nets while others prefer mesh type structures. Theultimate shape and curvature of the pocket formed by lacing the head ina particular manner are of importance as it affects the catchingperformance of the stick, the ability to retrieve and capture a groundball, the throwing performance of the stick, the cradling ability of thestick and the ability of the pocket to be easily broken in when firstlaced into the head.

A traditional style net is made up of a number of thongs around which astring is laced in a diamond-shaped, cross-lace pattern. The string isknotted in various places to secure the design. Typically the net willinclude four thongs, or runners, that extend longitudinally between theball stop, which is adjacent the shaft, and the scoop of the frame. Thethongs are generally made from leather or from a synthetic material.Each thong includes a longitudinally aligned splice so that an endthereof may be passed through or around a connector on the scoop, backthrough the splice and then through an aperture proximate the ball stop.Usually, the first and third thongs secured to the frame aresubstantially identical in design with the splices being made insubstantially the same locations. The second and fourth thongs requirean additional splice to be made through the leather in the region of theball stop. The location of the splice in the second thong differs fromthat in the fourth thong and cannot be predetermined. The second andfourth thongs are therefore usually cut in situ and the position of thesplice is, at least, partially dictated by the number of traditionalstyle knots that are to be made in the string. A traditional knotrequires the cross-lace to be woven so that it passes around a thong intwo directions.

In traditionally strung lacrosse sticks the ability of the ball pocketto retain its shape and integrity over time and through varioustemperature and humidity conditions is directly related to the number ofknots used in the construction of the pocket in addition to thematerials used to fabricate the pocket. The formation of a higher numberof knots requires that a longer length of cross-lace be used in theformation of the pocket. Historically, only a single lace is used toconstruct the pocket. This single lace, as incorporated into atraditional lacrosse pocket, must be around twenty-four feet in lengthif synthetic cord is used. Stringing a lacrosse head constructed with asingle lace is difficult and time consuming. The length of the singlecord makes it especially time consuming and difficult to string thefirst two thirds of the lacrosse head as so much slack cord needs to bemanaged and manipulated to prevent self entanglement as it is woven andknotted around the thongs. The process also requires skill, patience,and a keen eye to determine at which locations on the thongs the knotsshould be fashioned. The process also requires a great deal ofexperience to lace the thongs correctly on the first attempt. Anadditional consideration when fashioning the pocket is that there are anumber of rules and regulations that have to be complied with relatingto the number of the knots formed which impacts the pitch between theknots and their locations on each thong. Taking all of these factorsinto consideration, creating this traditional style of net is atime-consuming endeavor and is of sufficient complexity that manyplayers require professionals to string their nets. This complexityespecially causes a lot of problems if a string breaks during a game. Ifthis happens the player must undo each knot in the string before thestring can be removed and then must thread and knot a replacement stringinto the net before he or she can continue playing. Obviously, this isvery time consuming and requires sufficient skill to tackle the task.This problem alone causes many players to resort to using the mesh stylenet instead of the traditional net or causes players to simply useanother stick during the game. If the replacement mesh net is notproperly broken it will affect the player's performance. It isfurthermore extremely difficult to replace the single cross-lace when itgets worn or ripped as the lace is woven back onto itself through knots,around the thongs and through the splices in the thongs. Since thethongs are themselves secured to the frame of the head, it is typical tocompletely remove the entire pocket and re-lace the same. Depending onthe skill level and experience of the end-user, this can take anywherebetween two and half and four hours, or even longer.

One of the ways in which the industry has attempted to address the issueof complexity of creating a suitable net is by providing a pre-lacedpocket that may then be secured by one or more strings into the frame.The pocket includes a number of thongs that are secured to each other byshort lengths of cord. The player attaches the pre-laced pocket into theframe by securing the ends of the thongs to the scoop and ball stop andthen threads a string between the pocket and the side walls of theframe. A variety of pre-laced pockets have been disclosed in the priorart. Common to the majority of existing styles of pre-laced pockets isthe need for complex and automated fabrication. The majority of productson the market feature either two, three or four thongs, each thongconsisting of two layers of material, namely a front layer and a rearlayer. During formation of the pocket, short lengths of cord are passedbetween the two layers of material and are pre-tacked in place at fixedintervals from each other. The lengths of cord essentially pass throughapertures between the front and rear layers of material, i.e., from onelateral side of the thong to the other lateral side thereof. A fixedlength of cord extends between each pair of adjacent thongs and thislength does not and cannot change because the cords are glued orotherwise secured into place. The front and rear layers of materialsecured together in this fashion are then permanently fixed togetherafter the sandwich of materials and laminations is secured together upand down the vertical length of the front and rear surfaces of thethongs. Sometimes, the securement is horizontal and parallel to thecross-members for additional reinforcement of the pocket. The patternsthat these cords and thongs form are the subject of a number of patents.Players have been known to remark that some of the styles of currentlyknown pre-laced pockets cannot be “broken-in”. By this it is meant thatthe pocket cannot be caused to form the compound curvature orhemispherical shape that conforms to the shape of the ball. This shapeis advantageous to the player capturing and throwing the ball. Thefailure to be able to “break-in” the currently known pre-laced pocketsis a result of the horizontal members or cross-lacing being secured inplace by way of stitches and to the thongs being tied to thecross-lacing through stitching. There is therefore no “give” in thestructure that will allow a player to shape the net in their chosenmanner. This, obviously, affects the way the player can catch, cradleand throw the ball. Players consequently have to make the decision as towhether they want to use a traditional style net with all of itsproblems relating to stringing so that they can have improved ballhandling performance, or if they want to use one of the currentlyavailable pre-formed pockets that can be rapidly replaced and repairedbut has lesser ball handling performance.

There is therefore a need in the art for an improved way to string atraditional style net within the head of a lacrosse stick and for animproved pre-laced pocket for incorporation therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device of the present invention comprises a thong used for stringingthe head of a lacrosse stick, a pre-laced pocket incorporating saidthong and a net incorporating said pre-laced pocket. The thong has aplurality of holes defined therein, said holes extending between thefront and rear surfaces of the thong. The holes are configured toreceive two lacing members therethrough. The pre-laced pocket iscomprised of a plurality of said thongs and the lacing members arethreaded through the holes in a diamond-shaped, mirror-imagedcross-laced pattern. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocket andone or more connector strings that extend between the pre-laced pocketand the head's frame.

The present invention provides a net for the head of a lacrosse stickthat is easy to lace in that it incorporates at least two thongs thathave apertures formed therein and through which a pair of braided nyloncords are threaded in a mirror-image pattern. Each thong has a front,ball-engaging surface, an opposed rear surface and lateral sides. Theapertures are formed in the thongs so that they extend from the frontsurface through to the rear surface.

In a second embodiment, the net incorporates a pre-laced or pre-strungpocket that tends to more easily form the compound curvature in thelongitudinal and latitudinal direction better than other previouslyknown pre-laced pockets. It is believed that one of the reasons for thisimproved compound curvature formation is that the thongs are not securedto the cross-lacing by stitches. Consequently, the cross-lacing candynamically conform to the shape of the ball. When the ball is caught,the energy of the impact of the ball on the pocket is absorbed anddistributed along the longitudinal and latitudinal members of the pocketand the ball therefore more readily remains in the pocket instead ofbouncing out of the net.

Additionally, the formation of the holes in the thongs for placement ofthe lacing eliminates the guesswork as to where to mate the cross-lacingwith the thongs. The cords pass through the holes in the thongs insteadof having to be wrapped around the thongs and then knotted to aid inretaining them in the correct position. The holes also have a pitch thatindicates and directs where to weave the pair of braided nylon cords toform the pre-laced pocket with consistent and reproducible accuracy. Asa result, a novice can string their pocket with the same exactitude asan experienced player. Furthermore, the weaving pattern dictated by thepitch and placement of the holes for the first two thongs is a mirrorimage of the pattern for the other two thongs. Finally, the pocket issecured into the head using two substantially shorter lengths of nyloncord than is required when lacing a net from scratch. The player cantherefore weave the pre-laced pocket into the head without tangling thecord during the process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the bestmode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, areset forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings andare particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in theappended claims.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the head of a lacrosse stick shownstrung with a net in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the head with the net removed andshowing the holes defined in the sidewalls and ball stop of the head;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a single thong used to form the pre-lacedpocket and net of the present invention;

FIG. 4 b is a side view of the thong of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a single thong showing alternatively shapedholes formed therein;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the head of a lacrosse stick showing a firststring for the net engaged therewith;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the head showing a second string for the netengaged therewith;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the head showing the four thongs attached tothe scoop with a third stringing member and disposed intermediate thefirst and second strings but not connected thereto;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the head showing the first lacing of the fourthongs with one of the nylon cords from the pair of stringing members;

FIG. 13 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the head showing the second lacing of thefour thongs with one of the nylon cords from the pair of stringingmembers;

FIG. 15 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a front view of the head showing the first connector stringextending between the laced thongs and the first loops on the sidewallof the head;

FIG. 17 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front view of the head showing the second connector stringextending between the laced thongs and the second loops on the sidewallof the head;

FIG. 19 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 a is a front view of a pre-laced pocket for incorporation intothe net of a head of a lacrosse stick;

FIG. 20 b is a rear view of the pre-laced pocket of FIG. 20 a;

FIG. 20 c is a side view of the pre-laced pocket of FIG. 20 a;

FIG. 21 is a front view of the pre-laced pocket with the thongs threadedthrough the holes in the ball stop of the head;

FIG. 22 is a front view of the head showing the pre-laced pocket securedat the scoop and being threadably engaged by a first connector string tothe first loops on one of the sidewalls of the head;

FIG. 23 is a front view of an alternative method of threading thesidewall stringer on each side of the frame;

FIG. 24 is a rear view of the head showing the alternative stringingarrangement where the knots in the sidewall stringers in the scoop endof the head are secured to the third stringing member medial to the mostlateral pair of holes in the scoop rather than through the knot thatresults from the third stringing member being secured through thelateral holes in the scoop as in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a front view of the head showing the alternative stringingarrangement where the knots in the sidewall stringers in the scoop endof the head are secured to the third stringing member lateral to themost lateral pair of holes in the scoop instead of through the knot thatresults from the third stringing member being secured through thelateral holes in the scoop as in FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 there is shown a head 10 of a lacrosse stick (notshown) incorporating a net 12 in accordance with the present invention.Head 10 comprises a frame having a scoop 14, a throat 16 including aball stop 17, and sidewalls 18, 20 that surround and define an interiorcavity 21. Throat 16 is configured to receive an end of the shaft (notshown) of the lacrosse stick and is secured thereto. The overall shapeand configuration of head 10 may be of any suitable design and does notform part of the present invention.

Each of the scoop 14, ball stop 17, and sidewalls 18, 20 define aplurality of holes therein. Scoop 14 defines a plurality of holes 22,ball stop 17 defines a plurality of holes 24 (FIG. 3) therein, sidewall18 defines a plurality of holes 26 therein and sidewall 20 defines aplurality of holes 28 therein. Holes 22, 24 are larger than holes 26, 28as they are shaped to receive an end of a thong 30 therein. Holes 26, 28are each shaped to receive a connector string 32, 34 therein as will behereinafter described.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a single thong 30 in accordance with the presentinvention. Net 12 incorporates at least two and, preferably, four thongs30 therein. Each thong 30 preferably is made of an elongated strip ofleather and has a first end 30 a and a second end 30 b with alongitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends 30 a, 30b. Second end 30 b preferably is tapered as shown in FIG. 4 to allowthong 30 to be more easily threaded through holes 22, 24 in ball stop17. Preferably, the leather strip is comprised of a single layer ofmaterial and it has a front, ball engaging surface and an opposed rearsurface.

In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, aplurality of holes 36 are punched out or cut into the leather. Holes 36are spaced at intervals from each other along the length of thong 30.The plurality of holes 36 is substantially aligned with or parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the associated one of the first and secondthongs 30. The holes 36 extend from the front surface to the rearsurface of the thongs and are consequently generally disposed at rightangles to the plane of the front surface of thong 30. Alternatively, thefirst and second thongs 30 may be manufactured from a synthetic materialand may comprise more than longitudinally aligned layers of material.However, even in these instances, holes 36 extend from the front, ballengaging surface of the thong through to the opposed, non-ball-engagingrear surface. Holes 36 therefore extend through all of thelongitudinally aligned layers of material that are disposed between thefront and rear surfaces of the thongs. Holes 36 do not extend from onelateral side edge of the thong to the other lateral side edge thereof.

In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, eachhole is punched in thong 30 in a specific location and at a consistentpitch. For example in a thong that is 450 mm in length, 2.8 cm wide andaround 0.2 cm thick, an uppermost hole 36 a is punched through thong 30so that its uppermost end is at a distance of 15 mm from the uppermostend of the thong. Hole 36 a is 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm in size. The uppermostend of splice 38 is situated 25 mm from the uppermost end of the thong.Splice 38 is 20 mm long. The thong is folded along a foldline that isspaced a distance of 20 mm from the lowermost end of splice 38. Theuppermost end of hole 36 b is spaced 15 mm below the foldline. Hole 36 bis 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm. An additional seven holes are punched throughthong 30. Each hole has the same dimensions, i.e., 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm andthe holes are spaced 25 mm apart from each other. The lowermost hole 36e preferably is substantially circular in shape having a diameter or 3mm. It should be noted that lowermost end 30 b of thong 30 may be cut ata 45 degree angle to make it easier to thread thong through the holes 24in the ball stop 17 of head. It will be understood that this pattern ofthe holes may be varied without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Since the pattern of the holes in the thongs 30 is provided, there is noneed for the player, or a manufacturer, to figure out where to makeknots around the thongs. Because of these features, it is possible torapidly weave a net that provides consistent performance.

A first hole 36 a is formed in thong 30 proximate first end 30 a ofthong 30 and a second hole 36 b is formed a spaced distance “D”therefrom. A longitudinally aligned slit 38 is cut into the leatherbetween first and second holes 36 a, 36 b and preferably situated closerto first hole 36 a. Third and subsequent holes 36 c, 36 d through 36 eare spaced at substantially constant intervals relative to each other.The plurality of holes 36 are oriented in a row that is substantiallyaligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated oneof the first and second thongs 30. Each hole 36 is substantiallyelliptical in shape. FIG. 5 shows an alternative shape for the holespunched into the thong. In this instance, each hole 36 has theappearance of two circles abutting each other to form a figure eight.Whatever the shape of the holes punched into thong 30, the size of theholes 36 permits a first one 52 a (FIG. 12) of the lacing members 52 tobe interwoven between the two or preferably four thongs, and then asecond one 52 b of the lacing members 52 to be interwoven through thetwo to four thongs in a mirror-image pattern with just enough toleranceto allow the lacing members 52 a, 52 b to stretch and contract relativeto the dynamic movement of thongs 30 when the ball is caught andreleased. Lacing members 52 a, 52 b are terminated in knots 53 a, 53 brespectively.

Referring to FIGS. 6-19, net 12 is constructed in the following manner.A first string 34 is threaded through the holes 28 in sidewall 20. Whenthreading the string 34 the player does not pull string 34 taut so thatit abuts the interior surface of sidewall 20 but, instead, forms aplurality of first loops 40 with string 34. This process is repeated allalong sidewall 20 until string 34 is threaded through hole 28 c. A knot41 is tied in each end 34 a, 34 b of first string 34 to secure it inplace. As shown in FIGS. 6 & 7, this process results in a plurality offirst loops 40 extending inwardly into interior cavity 21.

In like manner, a second string 32 is threadably engaged in the holes 26in sidewall 18. Once again, the second string 32 is not pulled taut andis permitted to form a plurality of second loops 42. This process isrepeated all along sidewall 18 until string 32 exits through hole 26 c(FIG. 3). A knot 43 is tied in each end 32 a, 32 b of second string 32.As shown in FIGS. 8 & 9, this process results in a plurality of secondloops 42 extending inwardly into interior cavity 21. It will be obviousto one of ordinary skill in the art that either of the first and secondstrings 34, 32 can be strung first or second and that the strings 32, 34can be threaded from proximate scoop 14 toward ball stop 17 or viceversa without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, a third string 44 is inserted in like mannerthrough every alternate hole 22 in scoop 14 so that a plurality of thirdloops 46 are formed along scoop 14 and extend inwardly into interiorcavity 21. String 44 may be strung left to right or right to left. Itmay also be strung before or after one or both of strings 32 and 34. Agap 48 is created between each third loop 46 and the interior edge 14 bof scoop 14. The free ends of third string 44 are formed into knots 47to secure third string 44 in place. At least two, and preferably four,thongs 30 are secured to the frame of head 10. Each thong 30 is engagedin head 10 in substantially the same manner. Thong 30 is positioned sothat first end 30 a thereof is disposed in interior cavity 21 a shortdistance away from scoop 14 and the thong extends outwardly behind therear surface 14 a (FIG. 11) of scoop 14. Second end 30 b is threadedthrough the gap 148 between the portion of the third string 46 and theinterior surface 14 b of scoop 14. The direction of this threading isfrom the front of head 10 toward the back thereof. Second end 30 b isthen inserted through splice 38 in thong and is pulled downwardly untilthong tightens around the portion of third string 44 that forms thatparticular third loop 46. The second end 30 b of thong 30 is insertedinto one of holes 24 in ball stop 17 and is pulled downwardly so that alength of thong 30 extends outwardly beyond the end 50 of ball stop 17.It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, alternatively,the top end 30 a of each thong can be formed into a loop prior to thelacing of third string 44 into head. Then, when third string 44 issecured to the frame, third string 44 is passed through the loops at thetop ends 30 a of thongs 30 as third string 44 is laced onto the frame.

Referring to FIGS. 12-15, laces 52 are then used to connect theplurality of thongs 30 to each other. This is accomplished by threadinglaces 52 through the various holes 36 in adjacent thongs to create thediamond-shaped, cross-laced pattern. Preferably, two short laces 52 a,52 b are woven between holes 36 in a mirror image pattern and formingloops 62 a, 62 b on the outside of thongs 30. Lace 52 a is threaded toform loops 62 a and lace 52 b forms loops 62 b. Laces 52 a, 52 b areeach only about one third of the length of a traditional string, i.e.,they may be around eight feet in length. The shorter length makes laces52 a, 52 b easier to handle and less likely to tangle during the weavingprocess. The shorter laces 52 a, 52 b used for this purpose permit thenet to be constructed in one sixth of the time it would typically taketo weave a mirror-image pattern with a single lace. It should be noted,however, that a player could use a single lace if they so desired. Loops62 a, 62 b on the outside of thongs 30 are provided for weaving firstand second connector strings 60 and 64 therethrough. Loops 62 a, 62 bprovide visual cues as to where and how to lace connector strings 60 and64.

It should also be noted that as part of the lacing procedure, in eachthong 30, lace 52 a or 54 b is pulled through the aligned pair of holes36 a and 36 b. This causes first end 30 a of thong 30 to be held inabutting contact with the region of the thong 30 that defines hole 36 band toward hole 36 c. The free ends of each lace 52 are each tied in aknot 53 proximate ball stop 17. There is a decided advantage to thisfeature of “abutting contact” resulting from drawing the two opposingsurfaces together by the lacing between holes 36 a and 36 b that drawsthe tail of the thong against the length of the thong distal to theloop. The abutment helps in the retrieval of ground balls by reducingfriction between the underside of the pocket/net and the playing surfaceand it is easier to lower the head of the stick parallel to the groundand scoop under a ground ball. In a traditional pocket, there isfriction between the floating tails (which are not tied to the undersideof the thongs distal to the loop ends) and the natural grass, syntheticturf and/or concrete surfaces upon which a lacrosse match may becontested. The floating tails in a traditionally strung pocket canprovide an uneven underside to a pocket as some may twist left whileothers may twist right, while some twist forward while some may in factbe momentarily pressured back in a desirable fashion against theunderside of the thong distal to the loop. This unevenness may result inmiss-played ground balls where the pocket cannot be lowered entirelyparallel to the playing surface and the ball hops over or out of thepocket/net.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, a first connector string 60 is threadedbetween first loops 40 and connector loops 62 a, 62 b formed during thecross-lacing of thongs 30. A first free end of the first connectorstring 60 is threaded through a loop 46 in string 44 proximate scoop 14and is then tied in a knot 65 to secure the same in place. A second freeend of first connector string 60 is terminated in a knot that isdisposed proximate ball stop 17. Alternatively, the first free end offirst connector string 60 may be tied directly to string 46 instead ofpassing it through the loop in string 46.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a second connector string 64 is secured tothe frame in much the same fashion by threading a free end thereofbetween second loops 42 and the connector loops 62 b formed in laces 52during the cross-lacing of thongs 30. Each free end of the secondconnector string 64 is tied in a knot 65 to secure the same in place.

At this point, the net 12 is completely strung within the head 10. Theplayer may adjust the thongs 30 by loosening them at the ball stop 17 toform longitudinal curvature around the ball. The lateral compoundcurvature around the ball is provided by the dynamic movement of thecross-lacing through holes 36, strings 60 and 64 through loops 62 a and62 b, and loops 40 and 42. The player can deliberately shape the netand/or the energy of the ball itself may shape the net. Shooter strings(not shown) may also be threaded in any manner known in the art. Anotheradvantage of the present invention is that if either one of the laces 52a, 52 b break during a game, it is very easy for a player to rapidlyremove the damaged component. This is possible because the player canclearly see which hole 36 in the thongs 30 the broken lace extends from,and can therefore easily figure out how to unravel the pattern. Onceagain, the holes 36 in the thongs 30 make it much easier to weave areplacement lace into the net as it is easy to see into which of theholes 36 the replacement lace must next be threaded.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there are manyalternative ways and patterns in which net 12 may be strung and thatindividual players can adjust the pattern as they desire to do so. Theactual configurations of the patterns shown herein are by way ofillustration only and do not form part of the present invention. Theholes 36 in the thongs 30 give the player a quick and easy guide tofollow so that they can string the net quickly and consistently, nomatter which stringing pattern they chose to embrace.

FIGS. 20 a-20 c show a second embodiment of the present invention. Inthese figures, a pre-laced pocket 100 in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated. Pre-laced pocket 100 incorporates at least twothongs 130 that are substantially identical in structure and function tothe thongs shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each thong 130 is provided with aplurality of holes 136 spaced at periodic intervals along the length ofthong 130. During manufacture of pocket 100 a pair of laces 152 a, 152 bare threaded through holes 36 to form a desired pattern, such as adiamond-shaped, cross-laced pattern. Laces 152 a, 152 b thereby securethe thongs 130 together and form loops 162 a, 162 b on the outermostthongs 130. Laces 152 are secured in place by tying the free endsthereof into knots 153 a, 153 b (FIG. 20 b).

FIG. 20 a shows a front view of the pre-laced pocket 100. FIG. 20 bshows a rear view of pocket 100 and illustrates the knots 153 a, 153 bat the ends of laces 152 a, 152 b. FIG. 20 c shows the loop 184 formedat the upper end 130 a of thong 130. Loop 184 defines an aperture 186through which connector string may later be threaded to attach pocket100 to the scoop of a lacrosse stick head. Laces 152 a, 152 b are alsothreaded in such a manner that connector loops 162 a, 162 b are formedalong the outer lateral edges of pocket 100. Connector loops 162 a, 162b are provided to receive connector strings therethrough when the pocketis secured to the sidewalls of the frame of the lacrosse stick.

Pocket 100 is provided so that the consumer does not need to thread theintricate interior region of the net, specifically, the region that isused to form the ball pocket thereof. The manner of securing pocket 100into the head is shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. Firstly, the consumer threadsthe first and second strings 140, 142 into the head as described withrespect to the first embodiment of the invention. The pocket 100 issecured into the frame by threading the second ends 130 b of each thong130 of the pocket 100 through one of holes 128 in ball stop 117. A thirdstring 144 is laced into scoop 114 and is threaded in succession throughaperture 186 of each loop 184 as the player forms loops 146 in string144. First and second connector strings 160 and 164 are used to secureconnector loops 162, 162 b to second and first loops 140, 142respectively. When the first and second connector strings 160, 164 aresecured in place, the finished net has substantially the same appearanceof that shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.

As with the first embodiment, lateral adjustment is made possiblebetween pocket 100 and side string loops 140, 142 by string 160, 164. Ifpocket 100 was attached directly to sides 118, 120 of the head, lateraladjustment of the pocket would be impossible. This type of lateraladjustment was not possible with the pre-sewn pockets disclosed in theprior art. The ability to laterally adjust the pocket allows the pocket100 to be broken in and shaped by the impact of the ball on the net. Inthe prior art designs, all of the horizontal and vertical members in thepocket are tied to each other with stitching or some other form ofsecurement. Then, when the ball strikes the net in those previouslyknown devices, it is essentially hitting a hard surface and the tendencyis for the ball to bounce back out of the net like a ball hitting atennis racquet. This is one of the reasons why the previously knownpockets could not be broken in easily.

Pocket 100 of the present invention also provides for a rapid andrelatively easy repair to the net. For example, if the first connectorstring 160 breaks during a game, then all the player has to do is untiethe knots 165 at either end of first connector string 160, pull thefirst connector string 160 out of the connector loops 162 a and firstloops 140, and then thread a replacement connector string between theconnector loops 162 a and first loops 140. There is no need to removeany other components from the net. If the lace 152 breaks, on the otherhand, then the player would detach each of the first, second and thirdconnector strings, and would detach and remove the second ends 130 b ofthe thongs 130 from ball stop 117. A replacement pocket could then beconnected into the head in the manner previously described. There isthus no need to untie a plurality of knots in the region of the thongs,nor is there any need for a time consuming and intricate re-lacing ofthe pocket region. Consequently, the player can rapidly repair thedamage to the net and can get back in the game. Additionally, becausethe pocket 100 is pre-laced, the tension between the thongs 130 and thelace 152 is pre-set. The net will therefore have a consistent “feel” andsubstantially identical ability to catch and retain the ball before andafter this repair.

FIG. 22 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the method forthreadably connecting pocket 100 to sidewall loops 140 and 142 usingfirst and second connector strings 160 and 164 respectively. In FIG. 22,connector string 160 passes around sidestring loop 140 in the region ofthe scoop before passing through loop 162 b in pocket 100 and then on tore-engage with the next sequential sidewall loop 140. Similarly,connector string 164 passes around sidestring loop 142 in the region ofthe scoop before passing through loop 162 a in pocket 100 and then on tore-engage with the next sequential sidewall loop 142.

FIG. 23, on the other hand, illustrates a variation in how first andsecond connector strings 160,164 may be used to threadably connectpocket 100 to sidewall loops 140,142, respectively. In FIG. 23,connector string 160 first passes through loop 162 b in pocket 100 inthe region of the scoop and then on around sidewall loop 140 beforere-engaging with pocket 100 through loop 162 a. Similarly, connectorstring 164 first passes through loop 162 a in pocket 100 in the regionof the scoop and then on around sidewall loop 142 before re-engagingwith pocket 100 through loop 162 b. The figure shows that the knots 165and 167 proximate scoop 114 are made after passing through loops 146 instring 144 as string 144 passes through holes 122 in the rear of scoop114 a instead of in the manner previously shown in FIG. 22.

Both FIGS. 24 and 25 demonstrate an alternative method for threading thesidewall stringers illustrated in FIG. 23. The two figures illustratevariations with respect to where the ends of the sidewall stringers areknotted through the third stringing member disposed intermediate thefirst and second strings.

FIG. 24 is a rear view of the head showing the alternative stringingarrangement where the knots in the sidewall stringers in the scoop endof the head are secured to the third stringing member medial to the mostlateral pair of holes in the scoop rather than through the knot thatresults from the third stringing member being secured through thelateral holes in the scoop as in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a front view of the head showing the alternative stringingarrangement where the knots in the sidewall stringers in the scoop endof the head are secured to the third stringing member lateral to themost lateral pair of holes in the scoop instead of through the knot thatresults from the third stringing member being secured through thelateral holes in the scoop as in FIG. 23.

It should be noted that the variations shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 withrespect to where the ends of the sidewall stringers are knotted throughthe third stringing member disposed intermediate the first and secondstrings but not connected thereto also may be applied to the preferredweaving method illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 22.

It will be understood that once pocket 100 is fully secured into head110, shooter strings (not shown) can be threaded onto net by wrappingthe same around the exterior of thongs 130 as is known in the art.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that the nature of thepocket is such that it does not need to be “broken in” by a player.Consequently, if a player decides during the course of a game that it isnecessary to replace the pocket in the net, the old pocket can bequickly removed and a new one secured in place and the player is able toimmediately use the stick.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is anexample and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown ordescribed.

1. A thong for use in stringing a head of a lacrosse stick, said thongcomprising: an elongated member having a first end, a second end, and amiddle section extending thereinbetween; said middle section having afront face and a rear face and lateral sides extending therebetween; anda plurality of holes defined in the middle section of the elongatedmember, said holes extending between the front face and rear facethereof; and being adapted to receive a lacing member therethrough. 2.The thong as defined in claim 1, wherein said thong has a longitudinalaxis extending between the first and second ends; and the thong furthercomprises: a longitudinally-aligned slit spaced a distance inwardly fromthe first end of the thong; wherein said second end of the thong isthreadably received through said slit, whereby said first end of thethong comprises a substantially closed loop that surrounds and definesan aperture therein, and said aperture is adapted to receive a connectormember therethrough.
 3. The thong as defined in claim 2, wherein theplurality of holes in the thong are disposed in a longitudinally alignedrow.
 4. The thong as defined in claim 1, wherein each hole definedtherein is configured to be one of a substantially elliptical shape anda figure-eight shape.
 5. A pre-laced pocket for use in a net of alacrosse stick head; said pocket comprising; a first thong; having afirst end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middlesection having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rearsurface; a second thong having a first end, a second end and an elongatemiddle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surfaceand an opposed rear surface; a plurality of holes defined at spacedintervals in each of the middle sections of said first and secondthongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surface through tothe rear surface thereof; and at least one lace having a length andfirst and second ends, wherein said lace is threaded through holes inthe first and through holes in the second thongs to secure the first andsecond thongs together.
 6. The pocket as defined in claim 5, whereineach thong is an elongated member having a longitudinal axis extendingbetween the first and second ends thereof; and wherein each of saidholes is oriented generally at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofthe associated one of the first and second thongs.
 7. The pocket asdefined in claim 6, wherein the plurality of holes are oriented in a rowand said row is one of aligned and substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of said associated one of the first and second thongs.8. The pocket as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality ofholes is one of substantially elliptical and a figure-eight in shape 9.The pocket as defined in claim 5, wherein the lace extends outwardlyfrom the front and rear surfaces of the first and second thongs whenthreaded through the holes therein.
 10. The pocket as defined in claim5, wherein each of the first and second thongs is manufactured from asingle layer of material.
 11. The pocket as defined in claim 5, whereinat least one of the first and second thongs is manufactured from atleast two longitudinally aligned layers of material, and the frontsurface is an outer surface of a first layer of material, and the rearsurface is an outer surface of a second layer of material, and the holesextend from the outer surface of the first layer of material through tothe outer surface of the second layer of material.
 12. The pocket asdefined in claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second thongsis manufactured from at least two longitudinally aligned layers ofmaterial, and the front surface is an outer surface of a first layer ofmaterial, and the rear surface is an outer surface of a second layer ofmaterial, and wherein the at least one of the first and second thongshas a pair of opposed lateral sides extending from the first end to thesecond end thereof; and wherein the holes therein do not extend betweenthe opposed lateral sides.
 13. The pocket as defined in claim 5, whereinthe first end of each of the first and second thongs is shaped to definean aperture therein and the apertures are adapted to receive a stringtherethrough to secure said first and second thongs to a portion of thescoop of the lacrosse stick.
 14. The pocket as defined in claim 5,further comprising a third and a fourth thong disposed laterallyadjacent the first and the second thongs; and wherein each of the thirdand fourth thongs has a first end, a second end and an elongate middlesection; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and anopposed rear surface; and wherein a plurality of holes are defined ineach of the third and fourth thongs and said holes extend between thefront surface and rear surface of each of said third and fourth thongs;and wherein said lace is threaded in a pattern through the holes in eachof the first, second, third and fourth thongs to secure the first,second, third and fourth thongs together.
 15. The pocket as defined inclaim 14, wherein the at least one lace has a first end and a second endand each of the first and second ends is knotted to prevent withdrawalof the lace from its threaded engagement with the first, second, thirdand fourth thongs.
 16. The pocket as defined in claim 15, furthercomprising a first connector string extending outwardly from one of thefirst and second thongs; and wherein said first connector string isadapted to be secured to a frame of the lacrosse stick head.
 17. Thepocket as defined in claim 16, further comprising a second connectorstring extending outwardly from the other of first and second thongs;and wherein said second connector string is adapted to be secured to theframe of the lacrosse stick head at a location spaced from the firstconnector string.
 18. The pocket as defined in claim 17, wherein each ofthe first and second thongs has a first end and a second end; andwherein the pocket further includes a third connector string thatextends outwardly away from proximate the first ends of the first andsecond thongs; and wherein said third connector string is adapted to besecured to the frame of the lacrosse stick head intermediate the firstand second connector strings.
 19. A head of a lacrosse stick, whereinsaid head comprises a frame having: a throat region having an apertureadapted to receive a shaft therein; and a ball stop opposite saidaperture; a scoop disposed opposite said ball stop; a first and a secondsidewall extending between the ball stop and the scoop, said ball stop,scoop and first and second sidewalls surrounding and defining aninterior cavity thereinbetween; a plurality of holes defined in each ofthe ball stop, scoop, first and second sidewalls; a net for engagementwith said frame; wherein said net comprises: a first thong extendingbetween a hole in the scoop and a hole in the ball stop; a plurality offirst holes defined in the first thong, said holes extending between afront, ball engaging surface of the first thong and a rear surface ofthe first thong; a second thong extending between a second hole in thescoop and a second hole in the ball stop; a plurality of second holesdefined in the second thong, said second holes extending between afront, ball engaging surface of the second thong and a second surface ofthe first thong; at least one lace threaded through the plurality offirst and second holes in the first and second thongs to secure thefirst and second thongs together; and at least one connector stringextending between the first and second thongs and the sidewalls of theframe.
 20. A head of a lacrosse stick, wherein said head comprises aframe having: a throat region having an aperture adapted to receive ashaft therein; and a ball stop opposite said aperture; a scoop disposedopposite said ball stop; a first and a second sidewall extending betweenthe ball stop and the scoop, said ball stop, scoop and first and secondsidewalls surrounding and defining an interior cavity thereinbetween; aplurality of holes defined in each of the ball stop, scoop, first andsecond sidewalls; a pre-laced pocket comprising a plurality of thongsadjustably secured together by a lace, a first connector stringextending between the pre-laced pocket and the first sidewall; a secondconnector string extending between the pre-laced pocket and the secondsidewall.
 21. The head of a lacrosse stick as defined in claim 20,wherein the thongs in the pre-laced pocket each have a first end and asecond end; and wherein the head further includes a third connectorstring that is secured to the first end of the pre-laced pocket andretains said first end of the pre-laced pocket proximate the scoop ofthe head; and wherein the second end of the pocket is secured to theball stop of the head.
 22. The head of the lacrosse stick as defined inclaim 20, wherein the pre-laced pocket comprises: a first thong; havinga first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middlesection having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rearsurface; a second thong, having a first end, a second end and anelongate middle section; said middle section having a frontball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface; a plurality of holesdefined at spaced intervals in each of the middle sections of said firstand second thongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surfacethrough to the rear surface thereof; and at least one lace having alength and first and second ends, wherein said lace is threaded throughholes in the first and second thongs to secure the first and secondthongs together.
 23. The head of the lacrosse stick as defined in claim22, wherein a pair of laces are threaded through holes in the first andsecond thongs to connect the same together, and the pair of laces arecross-laced into a mirror-image diamond-shaped pattern.
 24. The head ofthe lacrosse stick as defined in claim 22, further comprising: a thirdthong having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section;said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposedrear surface; a fourth thong, having a first end, a second end and anelongate middle section; said middle section having a frontball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface; a plurality of holesdefined at spaced intervals in each of the middle sections of said thirdand fourth thongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surfacethrough to the rear surface thereof; and wherein the lace further isthreaded through holes in the third and fourth to secure the first,second, third and fourth thongs together.
 25. The net as defined inclaim 24, wherein the first thong is disposed adjacent the second thong,the third thong is disposed adjacent the second thong and the fourththong is disposed adjacent the third thong; and wherein the lace passestwice through each hole in each of the first, second, third and fourththongs.